Living life to the fullest in the days of Noah

“When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes." Matthew 24:37-39

We had great fun on Sunday. It’s always hard to fit everything in—and some preachers are much shorter than others, which means we have less than the standard 45-50min! 

We sequenced our morning and evening routines, then plucked pairs of small plastic animals out of a bran tub. We did our quiz and rainbow craft. We also learned about the Bible’ Big Story, and how Noah fits in. Phew! 

So most of that sounds related, but WHY the morning routines, Phil?! WELL, I wanted to find out if they wash! And it was a less intensive alternative to some kind of laundry game..

What’s the deal with washing though? I’ve realised a lot of standard, ‘traditional’ evangelical teaching focuses so much on judgement, sin, and fear. It’s almost like if we’ve not scared someone we’ve not done our ‘evangelistic’ job. It’s personally something I’m trying to move away from. Yes there is a place to discuss sin, death, and fear. But I don’t want to make it the majority of my message. Therefore, I thought—how can we learn about the flood (where many people did perish!) without drowning (pun intended) in the fear and judgement?

You see, we wash the things we love. We look after the things we value. We clean what we care for—even if we do it carefully! So what did God do when the world became smeared, no, stained with the stench of wickedness? He washed it. And because Noah was not overcome by wickedness, because he was a friend of God, he and his family were saved along with the animals.

So will we see Noah in heaven? Yes I believe we will. He is listed in the Hebrews 11 as one who lived by faith (v7) in what we could not see. Yes he did what God said, but he did it because he believed whatever happened God would loving provide. If all else failed he had his friendship with God!

This provoked a very interesting statement from one of the girls, that if we do ‘right things’ we will also find ourselves in heaven. I was most intrigued by this! It was a great opportunity to talk about how it’s not what we do, but WHO we know that makes the difference.

It’s not that Noah just did what he was told. It’s because he knew God! 

As we live today in the apparent ‘last days’ where we expectantly await the return of Jesus any day, this doesn’t mean we eschew weddings, banquets, or parties. Instead we do them with Jesus. We don’t have to seclude ourselves into a monastery or even a conservative Christian sub-culture. Instead we live the life Jesus calls us to in his strength, sharing his life with those around us.

The rainbow reminds us there will never be a world-wide flood. But that doesn’t mean there hasn’t been, nor will continue to be another type of flood. In sending his one and only Son, the good good Father has flooded the world with his presence, love, and life.

No longer is friendship with God found with a small remnant. No longer is it hidden and obscure. Now it is open, freely given, and available to everyone. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus this world has been flooded with is love. In him we have died, and in him we have life. We are partakers in his death, and participants in his resurrection. We were spiritually dead, and now we are (once again!) filled with the life of God. Now that is a new life!

For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.

Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. (Romans 6:4-11)